Page 110 of Cursed Dreams
Forgotten gods with eyes of night,
Guard the gate from cursed light.
And those who walk the forest deep,
May wake the truth that none dare keep.”
The group fell silent.
Thalia felt a shiver trace her spine. Her voice was beautiful, haunting. It took a second before the words registered in her mind.
“Your mother sang that to you as a child?” Cellen finally broke the silence, eyes wide.
“She said it was from the old days. Before the wars. A piece of the past hidden in plain sight.” Marand answered shifting slightly in her chair, clearly embarrassed.
Nyla lay her arms on the table. “The forest in the north, do you think it could be the Forgotten Forest?”
Marand nodded. “That’s what I think. It says in the north where moonlight weeps, that could mean the highlands. Or even the edges of the old lands. Places people don’t travel anymore.”
Thalia’s heart beat faster. Her fingers closed around her spoon gripping it like a lifeline. “We could check the temple archives. Find maps of the old fae borders. Cross-reference with where rivers run north…”
“Oh, yes,” Cellen said. “Let’s definitely go digging for haunted god-infested shadow woods. What could possibly go wrong?”
Nyla elbowed him, but he grinned, unbothered by her.
“this feels like something. It could be our first real lead real.” He paused, suddenly glancing around the dining hall with exaggerated caution. “Are we sure he’s not lurking somewhere?”
Marand frowned. “Who?”
“Vaelith,” Nyla said, her voice a bit colder than usual. “He’s taken to guarding the temple doors at night. Apparently, he’s trying to stop Thalia from dream walking again.”
Marand turned sharply toward Thalia, concern knitting her brow. “Is that true?”
Thalia hesitated.
“I don’t know how he knows,” she murmured. “But he does. And he’s furious.”
“Well, that just confirms it,” Marand said, placing the storybook down. “If he’s that desperate to stop you, it means we’re close. We’re scaring him.”
Thalia tried to smile. Her friends’ faith in her steadied something deep in her chest.
Vaelith’s fury had been unrelenting. The way he’d spoken of Caelum with such hatred. She couldn’t deny it had left her shaken, and if he knew her friends were helping her. She was worried what he might do to them. Yet this lullaby, it was something. A map, perhaps. A song encoded in the minds of children to preserve what history had tried to erase. She knew she needed their help to find it, the guilt of putting them in danger sat heavy on her shoulders.
“We’ll need to search the upper archives,” Marand said. “ I know they’re restricted but, some of the older temple maps might still show the wildlands before the borders changed.”
“I’ll charm a priestess,” Cellen offered. “With my irresistible charm, then I'll ask her for the maps, simple .”
“You’ll distract her,” Nyla corrected. “We’ll handle the maps and the charm.”
“Semantics.”
Thalia leaned back, watching them banter, warmth blooming in her chest. She couldn’t do this alone, and now, she didn’t have to. The group finished their breakfast and began planning their next steps, when to meet in the library, what scrolls to seek, who could sneak into which restricted section. Thalia sat quietly, the words still echoing in her mind.
Forgotten gods with eyes of night,
Guard the gate from cursed light...
The door to the upper archives let out a low groan as it creaked open, just enough for Cellen to poke his head through. He squinted into the candlelit corridor, then glanced back at the others.
